ELECTRONIC DEVICE/SYSTEM WITH CUSTOMIZED REMOTE CONTROL MECHANISM AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20060238373A1
• Filed: 02/09/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Original Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: Sung, Chi-Ming
• Application Number:
  US11/307,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20060238373A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.720
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

Electronic device/system with customized remote control mechanism and method thereof. The electronic device works under a setup mode for showing functions of the electronic devices to a user, and instructs the user to perform a customized operation on the remote controller for a user-defined function, such as pressing a user-selected button on the remote controller. While receiving a remote signal triggered by the customized operation, the electronic device can correlate the customized operation to the user-defined function. After exiting the setup mode, the electronic device can work under a normal mode for receiving the remote signals of the remote controller, analyzing which customized operation is performed on the remote controller, and then executing the function corresponding to the performed customized operation.

Claims

1. A method for providing an electronic device in coordination with a customized remote controller, the method comprising:

showing a user-defined function of the electronic device by a customized operation of the customized remote controller;

receiving a remote signal corresponding to the customized operation of the customized remote controller; and

storing the remote signal as a format signal;

wherein the reference format signal corresponds to the given function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing further comprises:

decoding the remote signal according to a predetermined encoding format to obtain a digital content of the remote signal; and

storing the digital content of the remote signal as the reference format signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing further comprises:

sampling a waveform of the remote signal; and

storing sampling results as the reference format signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing further comprises:

storing a plurality of predetermined encoding formats;

determining whether a signal format of the remote signal complies with one of the predetermined encoding formats; and

if the format of the remote signal complies with one of the predetermined encoding formats, decoding the remote signal according to the matched encoding format to obtain a digital content of the remote signal and storing the digital content as the reference format signal; and

if the signal format of the remote signal does not comply with any of the predetermined encoding formats, sampling a waveform of the remote signal and storing sampling results as the reference format signal.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing the user interface to show a plurality of functions of the electronic device to the user, wherein the functions are set by the user through the user interface; and

after one of user-defined functions is selected, showing the selected function to the user for showing the user how to start the customized operation of the customized remote controller.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing electronic device to compare related information of a following remote signal with each format signal;

wherein if the related information of the remote signal complies with the corresponding format signal, executing a corresponding function of the format signal by the electronic device.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the receiving module further comprises:

a sampling module for sampling a waveform of the electronic remote signal if the determination module determines that the electronic remote signal does not comply with any of the encoding formats, and utilizing sampling results as the format signal corresponding to the remote signal.

7. An electronic device capable of working in coordination with a customized remote controller, the electronic device comprising:

a receiving module for receiving a remote signal outputted by the customized remote controller to provide a corresponding format signal according to related information of the remote signal and being capable of receiving the remote signal to provide the corresponding format signal;

a memory module for making each function of the electronic device correspond to each format signal and storing a content of each format;

an interface module for providing a user how to select a given function of the electronic device as the signal; and

a management module capable of operating in a setup mode and a normal mode, wherein when the management module operates in the setup mode, the management module can transfer a format signal provided by the receiving module to a setup module.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the setup module is utilized to set the content of the reference format signal in the memory module.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein when the management module operates in the normal mode, the management module is capable of transferring the format signal provided by the receiving module to a look-up module.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the look-up module is utilized to compare the corresponding format signal of the receiving module with the reference the format signal, and if the corresponding format signal complies with a certain reference format signal, utilizing a control module to execute a function corresponding to a given reference format.

11. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the customized remote controller comprises a plurality of buttons, and when each button is pushed, the customized remote controller outputs a corresponding remote signal, and when the management module operates in the setup mode and the user utilizes the interface module to select a given function of the electronic device, the interface module is capable of showing the user to push a customized button of the customized remote controller;

and the receiving module is capable of receiving a remote signal corresponding to the customized button and making the management module transfer a format signal corresponding to the remote signal to the setup module.

12. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the interface module is capable of utilizing a visual picture or sounds to show the user.

13. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the interface module comprises a plurality of buttons, and the user is capable of pushing each button of the interface module to select the given function.

14. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the interface module is a touch-controlled display panel to select a customized function.

15. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the receiving module further comprises:

a receiving circuit for receiving a remote signal of the customized remote controller and providing a corresponding electronic remote signal;

a determination module for determining a signal format of the electronic remote signal complies with one of a plurality of encoding formats stored; and

a decoding module for decoding the remote signal according to the encoding format if the signal format of the electronic remote signal complies with one of the encoding formats in order to obtain a digital content of the remote signal and utilizing the digital content as a format signal corresponding to the remote signal.

17. An electronic system with a customized remote control mechanism, the electronic system comprising:

at least one remote controller, wherein each remote controller is capable of being controlled by a user to output a corresponding remote signal; and

at least one electronic device, wherein each electronic device comprises;

a control module capable of controlling the electronic device to execute at least one function;

a memory module capable of making each function of the electronic device respectively correspond to a reference format signal and storing a content of each reference format signal;

a setup module for setting the content of each reference format signal in the memory module;

a receiving module for receiving the remote signal outputted by each remote controller and providing a format signal according to related information of the remote signal;

a management module capable of operating in a setup mode and a normal mode, wherein when the management module operates in the setup mode, the management module is capable of transferring the format signal provided by the receiving module to the setup module, and when the management module operates in the normal mode, the management module is capable of transferring the format signal provided by the receiving module to a look-up module; and

an interface module capable of being operated by the user;

wherein when the management module operates in the setup mode, the user can select a given function of the electronic device through the interface module and the setup module is capable of setting a reference format signal corresponding to the given function according to the format signal transferred by the management module; and

when the management module operates in the normal mode, the receiving module is capable of receiving following remote signals and providing corresponding format signals, and the look-up module is capable of comparing the format signal transferred by the management module with each reference format signal;

if the format signal complies with a certain reference format signal, the look-up module is capable of making the control module execute a function corresponding to the given reference format.